


Perfect

by TyalanganD



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Canon Universe, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Self Confidence Issues, Weight Gain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:23:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29932695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TyalanganD/pseuds/TyalanganD
Summary: After becoming King, Arthur finds himself stressed out and crushed by new duties. Needless to say, he practices some comfort eating, and gains some weight. He's mortified that Merlin would hate him. But Merlin doesn't mind. Not in the slightest.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 156





	Perfect

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm basically posting it before I realize it's stupid, so please be nice

Arthur wonders why he hasn’t found out sooner.

In retrospect, he can see all the signs. The months since he became King have been the most stressful months of his life. He had to preside over the courts of law and council meetings, and forego some of his training practice with the knights, delegating a large chunk of his duties to sir Leon. The feasts held in his honour were long, and his royal guests and allies brought lavish gifts, often in the form of extravagant sweets or dishes from faraway lands. It would be a stain on Arthur’s honour to refuse them. So, the new king quickly found himself eating more than before, often munching on snacks and sweets between meals, engrossed in some new petty debate between his nobles or memorizing a speech for a special occasion.

He might have noticed that some of his clothes have been replaced or altered by the always vigilant Merlin. But he put it to the simple wear and tear of fabric. And if he sometimes found his breeches impossible to fasten, well, then he just shrugged and asked Merlin to change them.

The fact was, he didn’t really mind gaining some weight.

Arthur had been a knight all his life. He knew that he didn’t have to be like sir Percival, all sculpted muscle and no drop of fat, to be fighting fit. As long as Arthur felt healthy, as long as he was able to perform his duties – he felt all right.

But then, there was Merlin.

For the past week Merlin has been rather… distracted. He messed up Arthur’s orders more than usual, forgot to bring him his favourite dessert (an apple tart which Arthur grew rather partial to since the replacement of the castle cook), and, what was worse, declined Arthur’s offer to snuggle in bed more than once. Merlin explained he was simply tired, but Arthur knew better than to believe him.  
Still, there is nothing he can do as Merlin leaves his chambers with an apologetic smile yet again. Arthur sighs, shaking his head, as his servant and councillor shuts the door behind him. Arthur heads to bed.

He stops, catching a glimpse of his shirtless torso in the mirror.

And inhales sharply.

He doesn’t remember himself being so… chubby.

His face is fuller. It’s not very pronounced, but still noticeable. And when he lowers his head just slightly, he notices the beginnings of a double chin. 

He looks at his chest. Where used to be a rim of taut muscles, now there is puffy softness. Arthur’s pecks are squishy and meaty, and his waist… Arthur touches his rounded belly and finds it soft, muscles buried somewhere underneath an extra padding of fat. Frantically, he takes off his breeches and looks at his thighs, rounder and fuller than they ever were. No wonder Merlin had to order him a new pair from the seamstress recently.

Merlin.

Arthur sees his reflection’s cheeks colour. He doesn’t care if he’s fat or thin. Not really. In fact, in recent months, he found himself feeling a bit more solid, imposing, and therefore important, and he now knows why. 

But Merlin surely must mind. Merlin must find him repulsive.

No wonder he didn’t bring him the pie. It must have been on purpose. A subtle hint, which Arthur, of course, didn’t catch. To be honest, it wasn’t like Merlin to drop subtle hints. If he’d have a problem with Arthur, he’d say it.

But maybe he wanted to be delicate. Maybe he thought Arthur would be mad. In fact, Arthur now remembers Merlin saying something about his belt “being one hole shy of perfection”, something that Arthur laughed off as a Merlin-typical banter. What if it wasn’t just a joke? What if Merlin was trying to tell him something?

Arthur doesn’t sleep a lot that night, and only falls into an uneasy slumber in the early hours of the morning. When a sudden swoosh of the curtains and a piercing ray of sunlight touches his cheek, Arthur only mumbles sleepily. _Just one more minute…_

But then, Merlin’s energetic voice comes to his ears, and Arthur is instantly awaken.

“Rise and shine!”

“Merlin,” Arthur mumbles, rubbing his eyes and sitting on the bed.

“Yes, that’s me, sire. Your perceptiveness is, as always, perfect, even in the early morning.”

Arthur frowns and looks at his servant, councillor – and lover. _Is he still my lover?_ Merlin seems a bit happier today than he did in the days past. Seeing Arthur’s pout though, he looks at him inquisitively.

“Is everything all right, Arthur?”

“Do you find me repulsive?” Arthur asks. He might as well come straight into the point.

Merlin almost splutters. “What??”

“I asked: do you find me repulsive? It’s an easy enough question.”

“Why on earth would I?”

“I’m fat,” Arthur says, miserably. “I know I’m an idiot and I haven’t even noticed, but I am. You must have realized. You had all these… clothes to alter.”

Merlin raises one brow. “And…?” he starts, sitting on the bed beside Arthur.

Arthur looks down on himself. Now that he’s sitting, his belly looks even rounder, and there are actual _love handles_ where his thighs were. “Don’t you hate it?” Arthur asks, gesturing vaguely at himself.

“No,” Merlin says simply, no hesitation, no beating around the bush.

“Really?”

“Arthur, do you really think so little of me?” Merlin asks, cupping Arthur’s face, stroking a thumb through his full cheek.

“I thought you’d hate me… letting myself go.”

Merlin laughs softly, pecking Arthur on the nose. “So you’ve gained some weight. So what? Believe me, being mostly made of elbows, I actually find this state of things rather comfortable. You can’t imagine how awful it is to be bony. I love waking up on you. All this warm flesh underneath. Gods.” Merlin’s cheeks go really, really red.

“You really don’t mind, do you?”

Merlin laughs. “No. Do you?”

Arthur feels his cheeks burn. “Not really,” he mutters. 

“Well then, we’re all good, aren’t we?” Merlin asks, drawing closer and cupping Arthur’s neck. With his other hand, he slowly massages Arthur’s hip and belly. “You’re so hot, you know. Perfect.”

“Oh gods, Merlin,” Arthur groans and they kiss, slowly at first, then hungrily. Arthur’s cups Merlin’s arse while Merlin draws their cocks together, moaning and whispering obscenities, squishing Arthur’s belly with one of his hands. 

But something’s still not right. Arthur withdraws slightly, looking pensively at his lover. Merlin grumbles in protest.

“So, if _that_ wasn’t the problem, then why didn’t you want to sleep with me these past few days? And why were you so distracted?”

“Ah.” Merlin looks down, shifty. “Look, I really was tired. I… I might have caused a slight problem and had to fix it.”

“A _slight problem_? Merlin, have you cursed someone? Has any spell gone wrong? What aren’t you telling me?”

“I almost got Gaius possessed by a manticore,” Merlin mumbles. “But it’s okay now, I swear. I destroyed it.”

“Oh, Merlin. You’ll be the death of me.” A the sight of Merlin looking contrite like a miserable puppy, Arthur huffs in exasperation and adds: “Come here. Finish what you started.”

“With utmost pleasure,” Merlin says, returning to kissing Arthur rather thoroughly.


End file.
